Paying claims against the estate

Paying claims against the estate is a basic duty of the executor or administrator.  These claims include the debts of the decedent as well as expenses of administration.  Texas law sets out rules and priorities for how the claims should be paid. (See Texas Estates Code chapter 355.) General rules for claims 1.         Don’t pay any claim thatContinue reading “Paying claims against the estate”

Real Estate sales documents

Generally, a real estate sale begins with a contract and ends with a deed.  The deed fulfills the contract, and the contract is merged into the deed. A Real Estate Sales Contract 1.         Is negotiated between the parties. A buyer and seller negotiate about the purchase and sale of a piece of property.  They negotiate about what conditionsContinue reading “Real Estate sales documents”

Process for probating a Will

This is a brief outline of the process for probating the Will of a Decedent.  The outline is not exhaustive, but it gives a general overview. 1.         The Attorney files an Application Probate of Will Produced in Court and for Letters Testamentary with the probate court.  The application must be accompanied by:  Filing fee;  Original Death Certificate; and  Original Will. 2.         WaitContinue reading “Process for probating a Will”

Does the Will take the place of the family tree?

Yes.  The Will overrides the family tree.   The default method to distribute an estate under Texas law is inheritance according to the family tree.  When you write a will, you can choose to distribute your estate to anyone you wish.  Whether through inheritance or by will, distributing an estate of any substance requires the approval of a probateContinue reading “Does the Will take the place of the family tree?”

Managing time effectively

Managing time effectively is a key to getting more done, and getting it done better.  Allocating our efforts among the many tasks demanding attention is difficult.  Employing the time allotted is even more difficult. Allocating the time Allocating time requires scheduling.  It goes beyond just figuring out what to do next.  It means blocking out time for tasks overContinue reading “Managing time effectively”